Pakistan in Photos: Land of Contrasts

Pakistan has cities of millions and sparsely populated rural areas, traditional madrassas and efforts to empower women. We explored this multi-textured land in 2012, when a strike in Karachi emptied the streets one day and the next day life revved back up again at the Sunday Bazaar.

Women look over the titles of books at an outdoor market in Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city. Photo by Larisa Epatko

A boy sells vegetables and plants at a market in Karachi. Pakistan’s other main agricultural products include cotton, wheat and sugarcane. Photo by Larisa Epatko

A psychedelic bus rumbles by in busy Karachi. Pakistan has a population of about 204 million with about 21 million in the coastal city of Karachi. Photo by Larisa Epatko

Alongside buses are other means of transportation. Photo by Larisa Epatko

A man naps outside a mosque in Pakistan. About 96 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim. Photo by Larisa Epatko

Left:
Pakistan's main exports include textiles and apparel. Photo by Larisa Epatko